


truce or consequences

by ivermectin



Category: Gossip Girl (TV 2007)
Genre: Apologies, Best Friends, Conversations, Episode: s01e03 Poison Ivy, Gen, blaierena conversation transposed to danessa, but it's also the same, dan & vanessa are less repressed than blair & serena so it's a bit different, except it's not exactly that, teen & up rating because apparently i DID swear in this one i just forgot that i did, title from a gossip girl blast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29193900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivermectin/pseuds/ivermectin
Summary: “What’s that?” Vanessa asks dubiously.“A letter,” Dan says. “I wrote it to you when you were in Vermont, after you left.”
Relationships: Vanessa Abrams & Dan Humphrey
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	truce or consequences

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strideofpride](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strideofpride/gifts).



> [here is some context.](https://bisexualdanhumphrey.tumblr.com/post/642168858511360000/another-dair-parallel-their-best-friends-both) i suddenly had THIS very specific parallel crop up in my head, and i had no choice but to write it.

Vanessa’s at the community library, her hair in a bun, curls leaking out. She’s wearing her comfort sweater, her hands trailing the spines of books while she stands there alone, by the shelf. Dan walks up to her, puts a hand on her shoulder.

“Whenever something’s bothering you, I can always find you here,” he says, quietly.

Vanessa turns around, looks at Dan. “Are you going to actually talk to me now?” she asks. “Or am I going to hear more from your dad and your sister about how much I’ve fucked up irreparably, how much you hate me, while you just stand there in the corridor and listen?”

Dan doesn’t respond, but he puts his hand inside his jacket, pulling an envelope out of his inner pocket.

“What’s that?” Vanessa asks dubiously.

“A letter,” Dan says. “I wrote it to you when you were in Vermont, after you left.”

Vanessa gives him a questioning look, so Dan adds, somewhat redundantly, “I never sent it.”

Vanessa watches as Dan opens the envelope, unfolds the ruled notebook paper, begins to read.

He clears his throat, begins to read.

“Dear Vanessa, my world is falling apart and you’re the only one who would understand. My mother’s been acting strange, and contemplating going to Hudson for something to do with her art, but I have this feeling that if she does,” Dan swallows, looks up at the ceiling for a minute before continuing, “she won’t come back. I feel like screaming because I don’t have anyone to talk to. You’re gone. My dad’s pretending everything’s alright even though it clearly isn’t. I need to stay strong for Jenny’s sake, because I don’t know who else will.”

Dan takes a shaky breath before continuing. “Where are you? Why don’t you call? Why did you leave without saying goodbye?” His eyes are suspiciously liquid, and his voice is shaky. “You’re supposed to be my best friend,” he goes on reading, unsteadily. “I miss you so much. I’m not sure how to do this without you.” He looks at her, and she meets his gaze.

Softer, he concludes, “Love, Dan,” handing her the letter.

Vanessa blinks, and wipes her eyes with her hand. “Why didn’t you send it?” she asks, quietly. “I could’ve –”

“You could’ve _what_ , Vanessa?” Dan asks. He sounds angry in a way that is rare for him, which means she really has hurt him badly. “You knew I was your only friend, and you knew how the kids at school are, and you still left me and didn’t even _bother_ to contact me again. Do you know how that felt?”

“I didn’t know what to say to you,” Vanessa says. “You were the most important person in my life, but I wasn’t in love with you – I didn’t know how to navigate that, and I didn’t want to hurt you. Dan, you have to believe me, the last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt you.”

“I know that,” Dan says. He puts his face in his hands. “I know. I just wish – that you’d thought about me, instead of making this decision on my behalf.”

“I’m sorry,” Vanessa says, quietly. She shifts over, opening her arms, waiting to see if Dan will accept the hug. “I know I can’t undo what I did, though I wish I could. But I promise I won’t do something like this to you, ever again.”

Dan studies her expression for a moment, before he nods, and then moves forward, accepting her hug.

“Okay,” he says, burying his face against her shoulder. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

Vanessa smiles, though she feels on the verge of tears, presses her face against Dan’s shoulder, too.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says.

**Author's Note:**

> i am like... 15% a human made of human things and 85% purely vanessa abrams feels.....  
> feel free to hmu @ bisexualdanhumphrey and say hi :'))


End file.
